Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I state categorically that I am very committed to the further development of the Reserve Defence Force.

A value for money review of the Reserve Defence Force, published in November 2012, identified a range of issues that were adversely affecting the capacity of the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve. These included high turnover of personnel, a poor uptake of training and inefficient organisational structures.

The review recommended a range of measures to ensure the continued viability of the Reserve Defence Force. These measures included the implementation of revised organisational structures based on a strength level of approximately 4,000 personnel, implementation of revised recruitment policy and practice, a critical review of the approach to the delivery of training, a revision of the regulatory criteria for classifying reservists as effective and the preparation of options for the future development of the first-line reserve.

Implementation of the value for money review recommendations is ongoing. The revised single-force structure, introduced in March 2013, offers significant potential to enhance Defence Forces capabilities through improved interoperability between permanent and reserve elements.

At present, reserve units remain under-strength, which is a problem, and a key priority is to recruit further members of the reserve in order to reach strength level targets. Revised recruitment procedures were introduced with the goal of improving retention rates. However, the numbers recruited to date have proved disappointing. Progress in this regard and the implementation of other recommendations of the value-for-money review are being closely monitored.

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